2026-10-25 18:00:46The next morning, Luke Crowe gathered his team in front of the house, three living souls and one skeleton.
"I've been thinking," he said. "We are a team now, but we barely know each other. Today we build some trust."Luke noted Garrick's bad leg, Beanpole's thin frame, Nova's pallor, and Sky's skeletal frame."So today, we are doing a bonding exercise.""A what?" Garrick's weathered face creased."A bonding exercise, or team-building exercise, is a chance to play game
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Chapter 045
"My Lord! This is bad!""You need to come quickly."The Steward's voice was tight with urgency.Luke Crowe followed him at once toward Alan's Domain.At the manor, Alan stood by the window, shoulders slumped."What's going on?" Luke asked, studying his neighbor's face."What happened?"Alan turned as Luke entered, letting out a heavy sigh. "We've been played.""Played?" Luke repeated, his brow furrowing. "By who? Are you saying Count Barrowmont played us?"That seemed absurd. The armor alone was worth more than the whole order."No, no, of course not," Alan said quickly, practically jumping out of his seat. "How could it be him?""Then what do you mean we've been played?" Luke pressed.Alan slumped back down, rubbing his face. "Our caravan has been blocked. They won't let us through.""Blocked?" Luke blinked. "What do you mean blocked?""Of course we need a caravan to transport the goods to the Count's Domain," Al
Chapter 044
Luke Crowe stared at the notification before his eyes, his pulse quickening.[Your current team Cohesion: 99/100 to 180/1000.][System Assessment: You have evolved from "one person" to "a group of people." While you're still far from "united as one," at least they won't run off in the middle of the night.][System upgraded. Aura System unlocked.][Note: Multiple Auras can stack with each other.][System reward issued: Heart of the Team.][Heart of the Team: Aura range covers all territories under the Lord's control. Current Domain: Ashenvale. Effect: When the Lord is within his Domain, all residents gain +10% work efficiency and suffer 25% less morale decay.][System Assessment: This skill isn't magic. It's trust. You gave them houses. You gave them hope to keep living. In return, they gave you their lives. Fair trade.]Luke forced himself to breathe evenly. He read the description of Heart of the Team twice more to be sure he had not misread
Chapter 043
Luke Crowe stood before the assembled workers, his voice carrying across the open ground. "Your base salary is 120 copper coins, and your share of the profits comes to 80 copper coins."He paused, then smiled. "But I also mentioned bonuses, didn't I? So where are the five who performed best this month?"His gaze swept over the crowd. "Mott, Tucker, Ned, Walter, Merry. You five, come forward."The workers glanced at one another, unsure which faces belonged to those names. Then the crowd shifted and five men were pushed forward by their colleagues.The five stood awkwardly, eyes on the ground, none daring to look up.Luke egged them on with a grin. "What's there to be embarrassed about? Lift your heads. Let everyone see who earned this."They raised their faces slowly, red with pride and embarrassment."Now, your wages," he said clearly, ensuring every word reached the back of the crowd. "You'll receive the 200 copper coins I promised earlier, plus a
Chapter 042
Luke Crowe returned to his thatched hut and pulled out the performance review ledger he'd prepared from the day he first arrived in Ashenvale. Every resident's daily evaluation scores were recorded inside.He began flipping through the pages, pen in hand, calculating as he went. Within minutes, he'd tallied wages for everyone. The speed came naturally. After all, preparing payroll was something Luke could do in his sleep. Years of practice had turned it into muscle memory.He finished, stretched his arms overhead, and yawned. Then he noticed movement outside his door.Creeping forward, he yanked the door open without warning. Two figures tumbled through the entrance and collapsed in a heap on the floor.Luke looked down. Garrick and Beanpole stared back up at him.Beyond them, he spotted Nova, Sky, Bel, Hollis, and several others clustered outside. Sky's jaw kept opening and closing in silent, skeletal laughter. If the skeleton could make sound, the room wou
Chapter 041
Luke Crowe watched Hollis's retreating figure disappear down the road, then suddenly slapped his forehead."How could I forget about this!"He grabbed Garrick by the arm and hurried back toward Alan Whitcomb's Domain."What's wrong? Did something happen?"Alan looked up in surprise as Luke came running back, concern flickering across his face.Luke arrived breathless, waving one hand dismissively. "Nothing, nothing like that."He paused to catch his breath, then continued, "I just wanted to ask if you have any copper and silver coins."That's right. In his haste, Luke had completely forgotten to exchange his gold coins for the smaller denominations he'd need to pay wages. His coin purse was filled entirely with gold, save for a few stray silver pieces. He mentally calculated the timing. It had been a full month since the last payday, and this would be Ashenvale's very first proper wage distribution. It deserved to be done right."Oh, that? I'v
Chapter 040
Luke Crowe rose to his feet. "What makes you say that, my Lord?"Count Barrowmont let out a short laugh and gestured toward Morris Crane. "Morris and his people mine their own ore, smelt their own iron, and forge their own weapons.""The so-called advantages you've described are no different from theirs.""These factors alone wouldn't allow you to reduce costs by nearly as much as you claim.""I have reason to suspect these samples were specially crafted for this occasion."Luke nodded and pulled a folded sheet of paper from his coat. He handed it to the Steward, who in turn passed it to Count Barrowmont."What is this?" The Count accepted the paper and began to read."My Lord, the Mining Guild's advantage lies in their expertise. They employ skilled blacksmiths, control their own mines, and operate their own forges. The Sharkfin Guild's strength is their trade network, with caravans that span the entire Southern March."Luke stood with quiet
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